Backed by BMW and a wide range of other electric vehicle experts, including the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV), the seminar will be held on Tuesday, 18th February, 2014at BMW Oxford from 10am-4pm. 

Experts from BMW, EST and OLEV will focus on key issues including:

• Marketplace background and vehicle/battery technology developments
• The business case for electric vehicles – identifying fleet operating opportunities and whole life cost calculations
• Vehicle charging and development of the recharging infrastructure
• The tax treatment of electric vehicles as company cars including business mileage rates 

There will also be insights into the real-world operation of electric vehicles from leasing and fleet management company Alphabet, which has been at the forefront of promoting electric vehicle mobility; Phil Redman, ACFO director and fleet manager at IBM UK where zero emission cars are on the company car choice list; and an employee from an organisation that has selected an electric vehicle as their company car will talk about the reasons why and their experiences on the road. The seminar will conclude with an open question and answer session. 

ACFO director Julie Jenner, who has been instrumental in arranging the seminar with fellow director John Pryor, said: ‘The Government, motor manufacturers, such as BMW, and vehicle recharging companies are collectively spending billions of pounds on developing the electric vehicle market and bringing zero and ultra low emissions cars and vans to the fore. 

‘Organisations are responsible for buying the majority of new cars in the UK and, therefore, fleet decision-makers have a critical role to play in helping to accelerate demand for electric vehicles if sales are to soar.

‘However, we are aware of much uncertainty among fleet operators as to the viability of electric vehicle technology and the operational cost of such vehicles. This seminar will separate fact from fiction and give fleet decision-makers a clear understanding of the road ahead for electric vehicles in corporate applications.’ 

David Nicholas, fleet partnership manager, EST, said: ‘We are pleased to be working with ACFO to increase the knowledge and awareness of this new and developing technology. We look forward to this opportunity to discuss and address many of the common perceptions and areas of concern.’ 

To find out more about the ACFO Electric Vehicle Seminar, email the ACFO Membership Services’ Organisation at info@acfo.org or go to www.acfo.org